Here’s a Quick Way to Fix a Leaking Tent

There’s nothing quite like a lot of soggy clothes to dampen your spirits.

before you get cross or throw the tent out, it might be a really easy problem to fix

If you’ve bought a budget tent where perhaps quality wasn’t top notch, you might not be surprised to get odd damp patch. But what if you bought a really expensive tent from a brand with reputation for high quality? You’d be pretty upset.

But before you get cross or throw the tent out, it might be a really easy problem to fix.

Are you really sure you have a leak?

If you’ve woken up with a puddle in your tent, like we did recently, it’s not very nice.

We spent an entire morning taking everything out of the tent and drying things, and I was very concerned when a bag containing camera equipment was sitting in a puddle an inch deep.

just because your tent is full of water it might not be because of a leak

Yes, it can even happen to those of us who have been camping for years.

But just because your tent is full of water, you may be surprised to learn that your tent might not be leaking.

Here are some common reasons for water getting into your tent.

1. Condensation

It’s not uncommon to wake up in the morning with condensation on the inside of your tent.

When we sleep, we exhale moisture. When that warm moisture hits the cold walls of the tent, the moisture turns to water.

This is particularly noticeable on polyester tents, and can be made worse if you use something like a kettle inside your tent.

If you have wet shoes, leave them outside in the awning or porch. Wet coats and clothes can also cause condensation.

Condensation can sometimes be seen hanging from the ceiling of your tent. This isn’t the roof leaking.

Condensation may also run down the sides of your tent and create pools of water on the floor. This isn’t your tent leaking.

We’ve experienced really heavy rain in a tent with a low Hydrostatic Head where it appeared the water was forced through the microscopic holes in the weave of the polyester fabric, creating a fine mist in the tent that made everything damp. Whether that was it, or whether it was just condensation on the tent being shaken off the walls by the wind, I can’t say for sure. But even in a tent that doesn’t leak, things can still get wet.

And talking of wind, another thing you typically get with bad weather is stronger winds.

These can lift flaps that keep rainwater way from zips and other openings, such as mesh windows.

In extreme cases we’ve put a spare tarp over such openings that get a lashing from both wind and rain in a storm.

The Solution : If really bad weather is forecast, weather stronger than what your tent was designed for, change your plans and don’t go camping.

3. Don’t touch the sides

The sides of the tent can become damp in bad weather. Anything touching the sides of the tent can cause water to seep through. This is most likely to be the case on polycotton tents.

It is easier said than done sometimes. It happened to us recently too: the wind was really strong and we didn’t realise the sides of the tent was pushed against some of our bags. By morning our tent had an indoor pool!

An easy mistake that can happen to any of us.

The Solution : Make sure you don’t have anything touching the sides of the tent.

4. Insufficient Weathering

This may come as a surprise to you, but did you know that you should wet your new tent before you take it camping! Let me explain….

There are likely to be a few areas on the tent where there is stitching that goes through the fabric of your tent. You’ll typically see this where the door zips are attached to the tent.

These small stitching holes could let in water, so manufacturers use a type of thread that expands when wet. The thread will then dry a little thicker than when it was stitched in the factory, sealing the tiny hole in the process.

Your tent may need a few repeat attempts at getting wet before all the thread swells and fills the holes.

This process is known as weathering.

Remember when you tested pitching your tent in the back garden (you did, didn’t you?). Ideally you sprayed it with water to test for leaks.

On polyester tents, any stitching threads should have sealed immediately.

If you have a polycotton tent, depending on how narrow the weave in the fabric is, you may have noticed some water on the inside of the fabric. Your tent will need to go through a number of wetting and drying cycles to expand and fill the weave.

The Solution : Get your new tent wet before you take it camping.

But it’s none of those! My tent still leaks!!!

Unfortunately, in that case you might have a real leak in the tent.

Just a small amount of water can build over time in bad weather. So let’s get it fixed…

Many thanks. First experience of camping and had never heard of soaking it first. Result: lots of leaks at window seams and panic! Thanks for tips, will try when I get home. Meanwhile, mopping up puddles inside tent!

Hi Katie. Yes, it’s always tempting to close the vents, especially when it is cold. Unfortunately, when it is cold is when condensation is going to be at its worst. So it’s always best to have some ventilation in a polyester tent.

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